Phone-a-thons Guaranteed to Increase Membership!
Is your chapter constantly looking for new ways to increase its membership and reach its Pinnacle goals? Consider this simple strategy that is a proven method of securing new members and also strengthening fellowship among existing members: Gather your members together for an evening of one-on-one contact with prospective inductees via the telephone and call it a membership phone-a-thon.
The Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Johnson County Community College in Kansas has found great success with phone-a-thons. During their first year of conducting a phone-a-thon the chapter nearly doubled its membership. "Our phone-a-thons allow an interaction between peers and are more persuasive tools than a letter from an unknown administrator. Enthusiasm has a ripple effect, and our Phi Theta Kappa members never lack enthusiasm," Johnson County advisor and Kansas Interim Regional Coordinator Ruth Fox said.
The chapter at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois is the largest in the Society, but recruiting new members is not always easy. Far too often prospective members were unfamiliar with Phi Theta Kappa, and often the letter of invitation ended up in the trash. Phi Theta Kappa members at College of DuPage were able to reach their Pinnacle goals when they began to give each prospective member a personal connection to the organization. The officers got together for a few nights and called all 1,300 students who had previously received a recruitment mailing from the College President's office that included a Phi Theta Kappa application.
Your chapter can too put this strategy to work for you. The following five steps will guarantee a successful phone-a-thon:
1. Plan Ahead! Make sure that you schedule the phone-a-thons when most of your chapter members and officers can attend. Ensure that the members participating are familiar with your chapter and with Phi Theta Kappa so they will be able to successfully relay the benefits. Also, remember that calls should be made when prospective members are most likely to be home.
2. Make it a group effort! Find an office on campus with enough phones for every officer/member participating. Make sure that each participant has an equal number of prospective members to call.
3. Set a goal! Groups work better together when they have a common goal. Set a goal for the number of new members your chapter needs to meet your Pinnacle Program goals.
4. Write scripts! By providing an outline of what to say to each caller your chapter will sound professional. Recording Secretary Jessica Hajost who helped set up the successful system at College of DuPage recalled, "Before we started calling we developed two phone scripts - one if we got to talk to the student and the other if we had to leave a message on an answering machine. In addition, we created a frequently-asked-question sheet and each caller went through training before making phone calls."
5. Have fun! The best part about phone-a-thons is that they can be really fun. Chapters can turn this occasion into a party complete with food and a festive atmosphere.
"I have witnessed all the benefits Phi Theta Kappa provides for students," said Fox, who has served as an advisor for eight years. "Since we have found a tried-and-true method of increasing membership, we will continue to phone!"
Don't let students at your college miss the great opportunities that Phi Theta Kappa has to offer. Start calling today and let prospective members at your college know that membership in Phi Theta Kappa truly is 'Good as Gold!'
